Former presidential media aide, Reno Omokri, has declared that foreign military intervention carried out with the consent of a host country should not be described as an invasion, urging Nigerians to be careful with language that could undermine national unity.
In a statement on Sunday, Omokri said an invasion occurs only when a country intervenes militarily in another state without permission.
“When a country militarily intervenes in another nation without that nation’s permission, that is known as an invasion,” he said.
“But if the intervening country seeks and obtains the other state’s consent before the military intervention, that is not an invasion. That is cooperation,” Omokri added.
He said several countries, including Japan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Finland, and Nigeria, have cooperated with the United States on military interventions within their territories.
Omokri said Nigeria remains the only country Nigerians can truly call their own and urged influential voices to consider the impact of their words on national cohesion.
“Therefore, it would be profitable if influential people consider the impact of their words on the unity and cohesion of our country,” he said.
He criticised commentators who praise Sahelian countries while condemning Nigeria for similar security partnerships.
Omokri said some of those critics overlook the fact that countries such as Burkina Faso maintain military cooperation with global powers, including hosting foreign military bases and troops.
He cautioned against what he described as the deliberate misuse of language to discredit the government and its agencies at a sensitive time.
“I know English is not our mother tongue, and its use might be a bit of a challenge, and some pundits may be genuinely confused by some terms,” Omokri said.
“However, deliberately misconstruing the term ‘invasion’ and using it to cast aspersions on the government, its agencies, and privies at such delicate times as these does not serve the national interest,” he added.
Omokri said constructive discourse, rather than inflammatory rhetoric, is needed to strengthen unity and support national security efforts.
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